1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to housings or containers for automotive oil filters, particularly to such housings designed for permanent or long-term installation on an engine, and having a removable end cap to facilitate replacement of an oil filter element.
2. Description of the Related Art
Most automotive oil filters currently on the market include a paper filter element enclosed within an integral metal container; the container includes a metal base for attaching the assembly to an engine. When such a filter is replaced, disposal and recycling are complicated by the metal parts, which require special equipment for crushing, etc. Disposal, including reclamation of oil contained within the used filter, is much simplified when only the paper filter element requires recycling.
Previous efforts to provide a housing for a replaceable filter include those described by Brown et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,738,785; by Ernst et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,633; and by Brieden et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,516,425. Each of the patents referred to discloses a housing having a screw-on cap or cover. What is needed, therefore, is an oil filter housing with a cap that does not require a threaded assembly, and which may be quickly and easily removed and replaced during oil changes.